Rudiment 13 of 40 · Double stroke open roll rudiments
Thirteen Stroke Roll
The thirteen stroke roll is six doubles and an accented single: RRLLRRLLRRLL R. It alternates hands each time, filling a beat and a half before the accent.
- Sticking
- RRLLRRLLRRLLR LLRRLLRRLLRRL
- Accents
- The thirteenth stroke, the single that ends the roll.
- Family
- Roll rudiments
- Strokes before it repeats
- 26, alternating lead hands
- Original 26 rudiments
- Yes (1933)
- Starting tempo
- About 40 BPM
Hear it, then play it
Practice version: every note is twice as long as on the PAS chart, so the fastest notes are sixteenth notes. Same sticking and accents, easier to read and count while you learn it. Sticking under each note: R right hand, L left; small letters are grace notes.
Press Play to watch the sticks
Put it in RockBlocks
The practice version on a snare line at 40 BPM, accents and all, to build on or play with your other beats. RockBlocks has no grace notes or sticking, so flams and drags arrive as their main notes.
Play it on the drum kit
Four beats built on the Thirteen Stroke Roll: a fill, a groove, a fill around the toms, and a pulse to practice over.
How to play the Thirteen Stroke Roll
- Read the sticking. The Thirteen Stroke Roll is RRLLRRLLRRLLR LLRRLLRRLLRRL. Say the letters out loud before you play them.
- Find the accents. The thirteenth stroke, the single that ends the roll. Start accents high and keep taps low, so the difference comes from stick height.
- Play it slowly with a click. Start around 40 BPM, or slower, and play it until every stroke is on the right hand and every accent is in place.
- Open, close, open. Speed up a few BPM at a time to as fast as you can play it cleanly, then slow back down without stopping.
- Lead with the other hand. Play it starting with your left hand too: LLRRLLRRLLRRL RRLLRRLLRRLLR.
Tips
- Make the second stroke of every double as loud as the first. Let the stick bounce, then pull the second note out with your fingers.
- An odd-numbered roll is pairs of doubles plus one accented single: count the doubles, and the accent lands on the next beat.
Put it on the drum set: Lesson 59: Dynamic Crescendo Fill.
Thirteen Stroke Roll questions
What is the sticking for the Thirteen Stroke Roll?
RRLLRRLLRRLLR LLRRLLRRLLRRL. R is the right hand and L the left. It switches lead hands every group.
Where are the accents in the Thirteen Stroke Roll?
The thirteenth stroke, the single that ends the roll. With accents marked: R R L L R R L L R R L L >R | L L R R L L R R L L R R >L.
How many notes are in the Thirteen Stroke Roll?
The pattern as written by the Percussive Arts Society has 26 main strokes, then repeats.
What tempo should I practice the Thirteen Stroke Roll at?
Start slowly enough to play every sticking and accent correctly, around 40 BPM or below. Then practice open–close–open: speed up a few BPM at a time, and slow back down.
Is the Thirteen Stroke Roll one of the original 26 rudiments?
Yes. The Thirteen Stroke Roll is one of the 26 American rudiments standardized in 1933, and is rudiment #13 of the 40 PAS International Drum Rudiments, in the roll rudiments.
Sticking, accents and note values follow the Percussive Arts Society International Drum Rudiments (© 1984 PAS). The chart is RockBlocks' own drawing.
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